Tyler McKenzie, who is currently touring nationally with Hamilton, led a dance workshop on November 27 in Hanes Auditorium, which Chapel Hill High School chorus, dance and theater students participated in.
Students had the opportunity to warm up with McKenzie and learn a choreographed dance to the song “Gimme Gimme Gimme” from the Broadway show Mamma Mia!, on which he was a cast member.
The warm-up consisted of breathing exercises, planks and yoga-like poses. Then, students learned steps to the choreographed dance by first practicing without music and then adding it once they had mastered the movement.
Senior Coleman Lemoine, who is in chamber choir, enjoyed the experience.
“It was fun to learn a dance that professional actors used in an actual play. The dance and the music worked so well together, and it was just an overall very fun and cool experience,” Lemoine said.
Lemoine is a fan of Hamilton and was excited to work with McKenzie after seeing him perform in the show at Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC). Hamilton was on stage at DPAC from November 6 to December 2.
“The workshop was really cool because I remember seeing [McKenzie] in the actual show,” he said.
Students and teachers agreed that McKenzie maintained high energy throughout the two-hour workshop. He encouraged students to keep practicing until they mastered the steps of the dance.
Junior Anna Soderling appreciated McKenzie’s positive teaching style.
“I loved his energy. He was very open, fun, easygoing and he had such a great approach to teaching us. Even if someone was a bad dancer, he would still encourage them to try their best,” Soderling said.
McKenzie attended college at Western Carolina University with Chapel Hill’s new choral director, Alyssa Gillikin. Gillikin asked him to visit Chapel Hill after she heard through Facebook that he was giving workshops at high schools and communities.
“I contacted him to see if he could come work with us while he was in Durham, and he was happy to get to work with our wonderful students,” Gillikin said.
Gillikin was thrilled to have McKenzie teaching her students and will use some of his strategies in the classroom.
“[The workshop] helped the students form camaraderie and teamwork. It also helped students to learn a style consistent with that of a Broadway dance workshop,” Gillikin said. “I’ve been utilizing some of his core exercises with singing. Many of the exercises we did, such as planks or squats, can be useful in producing a beautiful vocal sound.”
Theater teacher Thomas Drago felt that his students gained valuable lessons from McKenzie.
“The students learned how to have confidence in their performance and only to compete with themselves,” Drago said. “I will continue to use experienced students who can bring the same intensity and drive to their leadership roles.”
